Character Death and making a new character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Character Death and making a new character [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Reznor00
01-15-07, 02:33 AM I was just wondering how other fellow DMs out there handle this situation. The guidelines in the DMG call for a player that either loses a character from death or decides to retire his existing one should start one level lower than his prior character and if he wants to take any amount of his old gear that’s subtracted off his starting wealth for his new PC. I was just wondering if others pretty much run things this way or are more lenient on these rules. I’m trying to decide how I want to handle this aspect of the game for my current and future campaigns.
NinjaPenguin
01-15-07, 03:26 AM It depend son how the character left the group.

Character Death or Character Quitting: I have the character start at the level of the lowest member of the party, or one less than his previous character's level, whichever is less.

Character Retirement for Good IC or OOC reason: If the character was retired by the person for 'game balance issues' (I've had players tell me they wanted to retire t heir c haracters because they felt they were breaking the game) Then U usually let t hem re-gen at the same level, since they gave an actual good reason for retiring.

DM Discretion. :)
CharlieRock
01-15-07, 09:51 AM Our team makes many new characters. Less then half because they died (but, that number in itself is high enough).
We generally start at level one (TPK or majority wants to start anew). Or one level down from average party level.
Retiring characters keep their gear. Dead character's gear is either encrypted during burial, or sold to pay for the burial.
Ilthorin
01-15-07, 10:02 AM My group generally starts new characters at 1 level below the party avarage. Magical Equipment for the new character is usually handed out by the DM using his own judgement but generally equivalent to what the other pcs have. (ie. if everyone has a +1 weapon the new character will have one too). As for pre-existing eq of the departed pc. That depends. If the character died his gear is usually split between the rest of the party. If he left the group for other reasons his gear goes with him unless he gifts it to someone.
Free1983
01-15-07, 10:10 AM I'm very lenient in this and I don't see a reason to punish a player who died in combat, so the player can make a new character at the same level the group is.

Luckily, this doesn't come up much :).

Cheers
Sereno
01-15-07, 10:51 AM I always allow my players to bring a new PC into the game at the same level as the other PCs (except at the absolute minimum XP for that level). I've never understood this come in as one level lower ... it makes no sense from a party survival standpoint.

Party: "Well, Baub the Barbarian was just killed by our enemies ... let's go recruit someone new. But, lets make sure that the new guy's just a little bit less capable of fighting as Baub was...." :confused:

If the player choses Raise Dead over making a new PC, the loss of a level is part of the price they know they'll have to pay. Usually, in my games, this price is worth it for RP and continuity reasons.

Except in rare cases, I don't allow PCs to "inherit" gear from the dead PC. Most of my PCs have families, somewhere, and a dead PC's gear goes to them (or gets "purchased" by other party member and the gold goes to the family).

Caveat ... I've never had a player "abuse" death and new character generation. My players aren't powergamers, nor are they interested in how the latest CharOp "builds" perform; they generally like their (mostly Core) PCs and want to keep playing them. I <3 My Players!! :cloud9:

If my players were constantly switching characters, to the detriment of the campaign in general, I might change my liberal opinion on new characters joining in.
CharlieRock
01-15-07, 11:17 AM I always allow my players to bring a new PC into the game at the same level as the other PCs (except at the absolute minimum XP for that level). I've never understood this come in as one level lower ... it makes no sense from a party survival standpoint.
If the player choses Raise Dead over making a new PC, the loss of a level is part of the price they know they'll have to pay. Usually, in my games, this price is worth it for RP and continuity reasons.
If my players were constantly switching characters, to the detriment of the campaign in general, I might change my liberal opinion on new characters joining in.
These are two reasons here I knock them off a level. (edit: penalyzes raise dead too much imo, and keeps the rabble down to a minimum.)
Sereno, your just maybe the exception that proves the rule ... or something ;)
Dunsel
01-16-07, 10:41 AM I allow the new PC to be the same level as the lowest in the party and at the bottom of the xps for that level. As far as equipment goes, I allow them to have 500 gps per level. With that money they can equip their characters with equipment and magic items. The magic must all be approved by me before game play begins with the new PC. Any gold left over is kept by the PC. This system has worked for me for 25 years.

I let the PCs decide what to do with the dead character's body and possessions. I don't recall anyone giving said items to the family of the dead PC.

The DM I play under makes everyone start at 1st level even if the rest of the party is 3-4!! I have complained about this but he just ignores me.
Aryxbez
01-16-07, 10:49 AM In event of character death, the new character level is
the average of the party level

Also I don't allow dead teamates to be raided.
Of Course there are exceptions
Gr8tyrant
01-16-07, 10:50 AM When someone dies and is not resurected, they come into my campaign at 1 level lower with probably half the equipment value that their former character had. this encourages my PC's to find a raise dead or a true res and keep their party together. I have found that if you do not punish them, players will never user resurection and that can hurt the flow of my game.

If someone quits for a really good RP reason or because they are causing balence issues, then they start back at the same level with equal magic items.

All of a dead party member's magic items go to the party upon death (if they can retreave them). If the party wants to twink the incomming character it is their business (it is very rare), if they want to send money back to the family it is their business (very rare) and most of the time the party just gives a percent to the players church or guild to glorify the player.
Free1983
01-16-07, 11:16 AM The DM I play under makes everyone start at 1st level even if the rest of the party is 3-4!! I have complained about this but he just ignores me.

:mrt: who dies in that game. I guess it gives a helluva motivation not to get killed :D.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Reznor00 01-15-07, 02:33 AM	I was just wondering how other fellow DMs out there handle this situation. The guidelines in the DMG call for a player that either loses a character from death or decides to retire his existing one should start one level lower than his prior character and if he wants to take any amount of his old gear that’s subtracted off his starting wealth for his new PC. I was just wondering if others pretty much run things this way or are more lenient on these rules. I’m trying to decide how I want to handle this aspect of the game for my current and future campaigns.
NinjaPenguin 01-15-07, 03:26 AM	It depend son how the character left the group. Character Death or Character Quitting: I have the character start at the level of the lowest member of the party, or one less than his previous character's level, whichever is less. Character Retirement for Good IC or OOC reason: If the character was retired by the person for 'game balance issues' (I've had players tell me they wanted to retire t heir c haracters because they felt they were breaking the game) Then U usually let t hem re-gen at the same level, since they gave an actual good reason for retiring. DM Discretion. :)
CharlieRock 01-15-07, 09:51 AM	Our team makes many new characters. Less then half because they died (but, that number in itself is high enough). We generally start at level one (TPK or majority wants to start anew). Or one level down from average party level. Retiring characters keep their gear. Dead character's gear is either encrypted during burial, or sold to pay for the burial.
Ilthorin 01-15-07, 10:02 AM	My group generally starts new characters at 1 level below the party avarage. Magical Equipment for the new character is usually handed out by the DM using his own judgement but generally equivalent to what the other pcs have. (ie. if everyone has a +1 weapon the new character will have one too). As for pre-existing eq of the departed pc. That depends. If the character died his gear is usually split between the rest of the party. If he left the group for other reasons his gear goes with him unless he gifts it to someone.
Free1983 01-15-07, 10:10 AM	I'm very lenient in this and I don't see a reason to punish a player who died in combat, so the player can make a new character at the same level the group is. Luckily, this doesn't come up much :). Cheers
Sereno 01-15-07, 10:51 AM	I always allow my players to bring a new PC into the game at the same level as the other PCs (except at the absolute minimum XP for that level). I've never understood this come in as one level lower ... it makes no sense from a party survival standpoint. Party: "Well, Baub the Barbarian was just killed by our enemies ... let's go recruit someone new. But, lets make sure that the new guy's just a little bit less capable of fighting as Baub was...." :confused: If the player choses Raise Dead over making a new PC, the loss of a level is part of the price they know they'll have to pay. Usually, in my games, this price is worth it for RP and continuity reasons. Except in rare cases, I don't allow PCs to "inherit" gear from the dead PC. Most of my PCs have families, somewhere, and a dead PC's gear goes to them (or gets "purchased" by other party member and the gold goes to the family). Caveat ... I've never had a player "abuse" death and new character generation. My players aren't powergamers, nor are they interested in how the latest CharOp "builds" perform; they generally like their (mostly Core) PCs and want to keep playing them. I <3 My Players!! :cloud9: If my players were constantly switching characters, to the detriment of the campaign in general, I might change my liberal opinion on new characters joining in.
CharlieRock 01-15-07, 11:17 AM	I always allow my players to bring a new PC into the game at the same level as the other PCs (except at the absolute minimum XP for that level). I've never understood this come in as one level lower ... it makes no sense from a party survival standpoint. If the player choses Raise Dead over making a new PC, the loss of a level is part of the price they know they'll have to pay. Usually, in my games, this price is worth it for RP and continuity reasons. If my players were constantly switching characters, to the detriment of the campaign in general, I might change my liberal opinion on new characters joining in. These are two reasons here I knock them off a level. (edit: penalyzes raise dead too much imo, and keeps the rabble down to a minimum.) Sereno, your just maybe the exception that proves the rule ... or something ;)
Dunsel 01-16-07, 10:41 AM	I allow the new PC to be the same level as the lowest in the party and at the bottom of the xps for that level. As far as equipment goes, I allow them to have 500 gps per level. With that money they can equip their characters with equipment and magic items. The magic must all be approved by me before game play begins with the new PC. Any gold left over is kept by the PC. This system has worked for me for 25 years. I let the PCs decide what to do with the dead character's body and possessions. I don't recall anyone giving said items to the family of the dead PC. The DM I play under makes everyone start at 1st level even if the rest of the party is 3-4!! I have complained about this but he just ignores me.
Aryxbez 01-16-07, 10:49 AM	In event of character death, the new character level is the average of the party level Also I don't allow dead teamates to be raided. Of Course there are exceptions
Gr8tyrant 01-16-07, 10:50 AM	When someone dies and is not resurected, they come into my campaign at 1 level lower with probably half the equipment value that their former character had. this encourages my PC's to find a raise dead or a true res and keep their party together. I have found that if you do not punish them, players will never user resurection and that can hurt the flow of my game. If someone quits for a really good RP reason or because they are causing balence issues, then they start back at the same level with equal magic items. All of a dead party member's magic items go to the party upon death (if they can retreave them). If the party wants to twink the incomming character it is their business (it is very rare), if they want to send money back to the family it is their business (very rare) and most of the time the party just gives a percent to the players church or guild to glorify the player.
Free1983 01-16-07, 11:16 AM	The DM I play under makes everyone start at 1st level even if the rest of the party is 3-4!! I have complained about this but he just ignores me. :mrt: who dies in that game. I guess it gives a helluva motivation not to get killed :D.